ALPINE TURMOIL
“Eiger Mordwand receives its first 8a rock route” – “Scottish Grade 8 climbed on the Grandes Jorasses”, “Alex Huber free climbs at French 8c on trad gear in the Dolomites”.
We regularly read such amazing headlines about the huge rise in climbing standards across the Alps. Yet other changes, arguably with greater impact, have been taking place in the western Alps for almost a decade now. The first of these is the fact that our summers have been getting warmer for many years now making traditional alpine mixed routes unsafe in the summer months of June, July and August.
This process has actually been going on for many years but the result reached a pinnacle during the 2003 summer. According to environmental historians, June 2003 was the hottest in 250 years – six to seven degrees above the average. The result was that inside the rock cracks within the mountain the heat melted the permafrost that acts like bonding glue. As the adhesive disappeared the rock simply fell apart; as it begins to warm, permafrost loses its strength, making the cracks and joints in a rock face less stable. So even a general increase in ambient temperatures can have an affect, as temperatures don’t have to rise above freezing to make a rock face become unstable. Because the alpine mountain rock is now generally very dry in summer this has led to the massive rockfall that we have seen over the last few years.
This is not a 2 year old phenomenon. The Petite Dru and the West Face of the Blatiere have been gradually collapsing for up to 15 years now. The Petite Dru in particular is a good example of huge rock fall caused by the fact that the summit of the mountain was all snow and ice which actually held the peak together. When the summit cone “dried out” 2 summers ago large sections of the peak fell down including the Bonatti Pillar and many of the rock routes on the West Face. Because there was no unusual snowfall or rainfall to trigger the incidents, geologists suspected that thawing of the permanently frozen interior of the rocks was to blame.
Other dramatic changes over the last few years include the collapse of snow bridges on the large and popular alpine glaciers such as The Mer De Glace and Glacier Blanc making snow access to routes problematic. This general glacial recession and movement has in turn created more rock fall as in some areas the actual glacier can no longer support the rock above it. The hot summers have also resulted in an increase in accidents as a number of the classic mixed faces have not been in condition so climbers have been forced out to the sides and have fallen on the hard rocky sections they have encountered. Again this is not a new phenomenon. In 1977 I was involved in a BSES expedition to SE Iceland where we gathered conclusive proof of glacial recession that had clearly been gathering pace over more than a quarter of a century.
The reasons for the above changes have been well documented elsewhere in this journal. So I will concentrate on what climbers really want to know, and that is quite simply what’s in and what’s out! What routes or mountains in the alps have been affected long term and so are now considered too dangerous to attempt in summer, and those climbs that are still safe, fun and retain their “must do” status.
The Mt Blanc Massif:Without doubt the biggest problems in the alps in the summer of 2003 occurred in the Mt Blanc massif. It was the first year that the mountains of the Haute Savoie really dried out and in many cases all that’s was left was dry, crumbly gravel. In Saint Gervais, France, on October 17th 2003, French researchers reported that Mt Blanc had shrunk by 2 meters (more than 6 feet) over the preceding two years due to the usually warm weather. Utilising the latest GPS measurements, it was stated that the peak, which had a recorded altitude of 4,810.4 metres (15,782 feet) in September 2001 now stands at 4,808.45 metres (15,776 feet). This represents a loss of 1.95 metres (6.4 feet), according to the topographic readings taken that month, which had a margin of error of 10 centimetres. A spokesman for the 19-member research team, Pierre Bibollet, told journalists that the difference could be explained by “the combined effect of the wind, which has worn down the peak, and the temperature, because the snow was warmer and it got compressed faster.”
So what actually happened that fateful summer of 2003? In the Chamonix Valley from May-June things were pretty much as per most summer seasons. The mixed snow and ice conditions were actually very good. But by mid July the mountain conditions had so altered that the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses for instance, had changed to a pure rock route, and climbers were able to leave their rock shoes on for the entire route.
Conditions on the glaciers were also very good with fast travel possible over all glaciers in the “Valley” as they were in a totally “dry” state. But from 10 August things started to go wrong. By now it had been 0 degrees or warmer on the summit of Mt Blanc since mid June and big rockfalls could be heard up and down the valley. In a normal summer season even in August temperatures at the summit are between -5 and -15 degrees C. As for the Jorasses, no-one ventured onto the Walker Spur from approximately the 14th August for the remainder of the season because of the incessant stone fall.
The mayor of Chamonix installed policeman on the glacier above the Les Houches train station and before the couloir leading to the Gouter Hut, warning people off as it was very dangerous below the hut. If you ignored the warning and insisted on proceeding, the policemen took your details so an easy identification could be made in the eventuality of death. Mt Blanc was never officially shut as the authorities drew away from such a course of action, but many accidents continued throughout the summer, including the evacuation of 50 mountaineers by helicopter from the Gouter hut in July, when the stranded climbers could not safely retreat down to the glacier. In total, it was estimated that there were 20 deaths in 2003 from stonefall just around the Gouter couloir.
The situation does not seem to have altered much the following year. I spoke recently to a British climber who attempted the Gouter route in July 2004. He said within a 3 day period on the mountain he personally witnessed 12 helicopter rescues, and described the situation as a “war zone” with injured alpinists constantly retreating from the route with cut or injured limbs due to the ever present rock fall.
The Office De Haute Montagne (OHM) in Chamonix displayed a series of photographs from the middle of the summer showing wild images of large rockfalls on the Petite Dru (falls from the Bonatti to the couloir below and glacier), the Grand Charmoz, and the top of the Aiguille De Midi telepherique. Here the usually prominent snow cave at the entrance to the station disappeared in August, and the arête ridge issuing from the tunnel was reduced to just rock and scree rubble. The death of three members of the Equipe Jeunesse close to the Grand Mulets refuge, a day after competing in the World Cup championships in Chamonix, was also widely publicised across the French media in August that year. The accident was attributed to serac collapse caused by the very hot summer temperatures.
Other noteworthy routes in the Chamonix Valley that were affected by the 2003 carnicule included the NW side of the Grand Charmoz. It is still unstable at the top and throughout the 2004 summer climbers reported seeing rockfall on or from the route. The Cordier Pillar is not in the direct line of fire but the base is threatened, and rock dust was visible on the route at the end of the 2003 summer season. In 2004 the rock on the route clearly settled down and the pillar was climbed many times that summer.
Any route using the Nantillons Glacier should still be treated with caution as this was one of the worst affected areas in 2003 with many tons of rock coming down it in July/August. If this was not enough Nikki Wallis, a North Wales activist who sent me a full report on her alpine season that year, said that during her mid-August trip she actually saw two mountaineers nervously making their way down the glacier around 19:00hrs at speed, unroped and running. They collapsed on the moraine once safe, probably from nervous tension and relief! She thinks they may have come over from the other side not realising what it was like.
The Mt Blanc du Tacul glacier underwent the greatest change during 2003, necessitating the use of fixed ropes across the crevasses so guides could take clients up it. The largest recorded slot was over six meters wide, forcing climbers onto the rock ridges to its side to avoid the glacier. It was the same story on the Tour Ronde. After the heavy snowfall in October, and November 2003 the crevasses seem to have been filled, and in 2004 no fixed ropes were necessary.
The Petite Dru has been badly affected by rockfall over the last decade at least, and 2003 was certainly no exception. Really the only safe line in summer now is the American Direct, Robbins and Hemming’s 1962 classic. In the summer months there is now almost daily rockfall to the left and right of the route. Even the American Direct was affected in 2003 when a large piece came off on the 90m corner, above the “jammed block”. The Bonatti Pillar has mostly fallen down and many were the tales of epic descents down the other side to the Charpoua Hut. The tourist path below the Charpoua also received a large rock and ice-fall across it in 2003, so much so that much of the ‘fixed’ gear is either in a bad state or has gone completely. The general advice now if attempting the American Direct is to ab back down the route. A recent ascentionist told me that there are now imminent falls waiting to happen on the upper part of the American Direct, but I cannot confirm this as I have not heard it from any other sources. But to give an idea how bad the rock is now, a guide told me that when he first took clients on the normal traverse of the Drus in June 2003 he was able to put a piton into a crack half way up the route. By the middle of the season he was able to put himself into the same crack!
Over on the North Face of the Petite Dru all the snow disappeared from the niche in 2003, and the conditions had not greatly changed in 2004. The general advice is only attempt routes such as The Guides Route or the classic North Face route when it’s dry. If not the melting snow can cause dangerous objective hazards, and the face remains a serious alpine objective.
On the Aiguille de Moine the ice has retreated quite a bit, making the negotiation of the bergschrund a difficult undertaking, as is the case with many of the bergschrunds on traditionally easy (PD, AD) routes. This is due to the fact that the crevasses have really changed following the heatwave and have failed to have been restored during the winter snows. The base of the Nonne-Eveque-Cardinal ridge is a typical example of this, and the Boissons Glacier had big signs up saying don’t use for ice work, use the Mer De Glace instead. These signs disappeared in 2004, although the Mer de Glace is now the main sector for ice training. The Boissons is out simply because it is more dangerous and the approach to the Mer De Glace is really easy!
A number of climbers alerted me to the potential for a huge serac/ice fall from the NW side of the Aiguille Verte. There is a large crack opening up not far from the summit and if it went would carry with it a massive volume of rock and ice. One to be aware of at least! The Dent Du Requien approach was also very dangerous in 2003. The Requien hut was closed accordingly as no one was going up there due to the rockfall. This does not appear to have been the case though in 2004. The Envers hut was also very quiet because of the dangerous approach, and the bergschrund up to the Aiguille Du Roc was huge and dangerous in 2003. Again after the 03/04 winter the situation reversed itself.
And finally on the French side of the Valley rockfall continues to be a problem on Mt Blanc’s Brenva face, and the old trident hut is now definitely gone – the nearest bivouac is on the Col de la Fourche. The Dent De Geant also suffered bad stonefall in 2003 on the approach route and the base of the mountain is still very unstable – it needed its teeth filling with a lot of snow!
Over on the Italian side of Mont Blanc a big rockfall has made the East Ridge of the Aiguille Noire suspect. The 2003 heatwave also had a big affect on the local economy of the area; most of the outdoor shops in Courmeyeur reporting an upsurge in sport climbing gear, and a noticeable reduction in alpine equipment by the end of the summer due to the wholesale change in climbing activity in the area.
So if that’s the bad news, what is the good? One of the largest unaffected areas around Mt Blanc was the Aiguilles Rouges. This popular area unfortunately is always crowded because it is safe and often dry in summer when other alpine rock routes are not. The most popular venues are always the Index and Gliere areas. The West Face of the Red Pillar on the Aiguille de Blaitiere is still fairly unstable, and has suffered a lot of rockfall over the last 10 years. But the rock routes Majorette Thatcher and Fidel Fiasco remain popular. Not all routes on this face are bolted and some are very hard, so be aware. I remember rescuing a couple of Brits who had got their ropes caught abseiling in a storm after an aborted attempt on Thatcher. Going lightweight does not always work, and certainly in this case the t-shirts the pair were wearing did not offer much protection from the driving sleet that had enveloped the face!
The Frendo Spur on the Aiguille Du Midi has been in good condition over the last few years, but is not as described in the guide books!! With that caveat I think it is a good one to do as long as you are happy to tackle the long ice section at the top (the ice can be of an unpredictable quality).
Over on the Central Pillar of Freney three people were killed in 2003 by stonefall whilst traversing across to the base. Basically they were too late as they died around 06.00-7.00 and should have been there by Midnight. The route is fine in summer, and is often dry, but make sure you set out much earlier than normal, and avoid a retreat at all costs as the approach is tricky and is not nice to reverse.
Finally in Chamonix the rock climbs on the Aiguille du Chamonix and the East Face of the Tacul are all unaffected and offer good quality climbing. I am not sure about the rock routes on the Petites Jorasses and the satellites around les Drus as I have heard conflicting reports about the nature of the rock post 2003.
The Swiss Valais Alps
Throughout the ’03 summer the Matterhorn certainly had its fair share of media coverage. It was actually shut twice; the first time was in July when 70 people were evacuated from the Solvay emergency refuge high up on the Hornli Ridge. They watched in horror as continuous massive rockfalls exploded below them at an altitude of 3,400 metres. The mountain was shut from the Swiss side shortly afterwards as a security measure by officials in the Valais Canton. This was to allow time for repairs to be made to the fixed ropes and to clear the debris from the ridge.
No one was injured in the rockslide, which was surprising as up to 150 climbers attempt an ascent every day during the summer. “It’s only down to luck that it wasn’t more serious,” said Bruno Jelk, who coordinated the evacuation in July.
Vic Saunders was one of the airlifted in July. “I have never seen so much rock falling at one time”. And he used to climb with Mick Fowler! The second time the Matterhorn was shut for 3 weeks both from Swiss and Italian sides. The cause of the rockfall was attributed by climate specialists to the high temperatures throughout the summer, which they said had probably caused a melting of the permafrost that binds the rocks together.
Rock falls are not uncommon on the Matterhorn – I soloed the Hornli Ridge back in 1983 and remember the large amount of loose “choss” on the hill, some of which nearly wiped me out on the descent, having been knocked off by climbers above me.
Over in Grindewald the heat was also being blamed for causing massive chunks of ice to break away from a glacier above the popular Swiss resort in mid July 2003. The ice fell into a river, causing a two-metre high swell of water to barrel down the mountain. Police banned access to the Lütschine river and told holidaymakers and locals to stand clear as the wave carrying a mass of mud and rocks made its way towards Lake Brienz in the Bern Canton. A second, smaller wave followed two hours later after water trapped behind the fallen ice broke through. No damage was reported. No more movement was detected on the glacier. “It could be two weeks, two months or two years before we have this kind of situation again,” said Christian Anderegg of the Grindelwald fire department.
On the Eiger it was the same story. The ice fields on the infamous North Face were reduced to gravel, and the White Spider section on the 1938 route disappeared by the end of July, making the face more dangerous than normal. These days March seems the preferred month for ascents of this route. Probably as a result of the above the East and West ridge routes on the Eiger are even more popular than normal, and offer a good excuse for avoiding the North Face!
As like elsewhere in the Alps, this recent mountain destruction is not new in Switzerland. The Swiss authorities have been wary of glacier movement in the Alps for many years, with icefalls causing major damage and deaths in the past. In 1965 part of the Allalin glacier came down on the construction site of the Mattmark dam in the Saas valley near Zermatt, killing 88 workers in less than a minute.
Wilfried Haeberli, a glaciologist at Zurich University, explained that the winter’s snow now disappears so fast that the permafrost and glaciers were being melted. “The Matterhorn relies on permafrost to stay together, just like the North Face of the Eiger of the Jungfraujoch,” said Haeberli. The ice specialist says the heat is akin to leaving a fridge door open. “Water starts to flow, and large chunks of rock begin to break away from the mountain,” he added. Haeberli said it isn’t just climbers who are threatened by the permafrost meltdown. Mountain installations such as cable cars or huts could also suffer damage. “We’ve known about this phenomenon for a long time, but people have not taken it seriously enough,” he said.
The Ecrins Massif:
And so to the Ecrins Massif, the most southerly of the alpine climbing areas. Basically the 2003 summer was pretty much business as usual. We always have low precipitation levels down here, a fact confirmed by the 300 days of sunshine the region enjoys every year. So the massif has dried out many times before. I guess the other thing to say is that the Ecrins Massif (or L’Oisans) is big – 30 times larger than the Chamonix Valley and contains 4 different rock types including Granite, Limestone, Quartzite and Conglomerate. So a review of this area in terms of what is IN and what is OUT is not a simple matter.
As regards events in 2003 there was not one cloudy day in March in the Hautes Alpes – unheard of – and yet in terms of actual route change there was very little affected despite this prolonged dry, sunny period. The few exceptions include the north faces of the Pic Sans Nom, Pelvoux and Ailefroide which are now considered dangerous in August due to increased rock fall. The obvious routes here which are now slightly more affected by rockfall are the classics Voie Chapoutot (TD) and Aurore Nucleaire (ED) on the Central Pillar on the North Face of the Pic Sans Nom.
Over on the South Pillar of the Barre Des Ecrins things have changed. Now only the classic 1944 route (TD) is still safe, but climb quickly in the lower part especially; summer ascentionists report hearing and seeing rock fall throughout the day. However, the regular route Voie Normale to the Summit of the Barre Des Ecrins (at 4102m. the most southerly four thousander in Europe) remains unaffected other than an increase in snow bridge collapse on the Glacier Blanc in the height of summer – one for the aspiring alpinist in search of AD Grand Voies.
The approaches to a number of the routes on the South Face of The Meije have got difficult starts these days due to glacial recession, leaving a tricky (poor rock) section to overcome in order to reach the first piton or bolt. Otherwise the two obvious classics, the Traverse, and the Allain route on the South Face remain very popular. The Allain route is a little difficult to follow exactly but has good rock and a great summit. Probably VS/HVS depending on the line followed.
If you want to be super cautious and yet enjoy big alpine objectives, the rock routes on the Aiguille de Sialouze, and on Pointe Louise (Glacier Blanc) offer easy access and sound alpine rock. For big wall/multi-pitch alpine rock without a glacial approach you have many objectives including the 600m South Face of the Tete D’Aval (30+ routes), and the sub-alpine range of the Massif Des Cerces. The Cerces itself is big with six distinct areas, over 100 routes from Facile to Abominable + and up to 400m in length. All of the climbs in the Cerces are unaffected by permafrost reduction seen elsewhere.
So what is the general advice for summer alpine climbing these days? I think firstly, if climbing in July and August try and choose alpine bolted rock climbs. The North East Pillar on the Pic Sans Nom here in Les Ecrins is a good example of a safe alpine climb, possible even in the middle of the summer heat – 25 pitches with no danger from rockfall above as the top is an independent summit, away from and not underneath the main summit.
If you want to get amongst the mixed, try and go for snow and ice grande courses like the Voie Normale on the Barre Des Ecrins, which is possible from mid June to mid September without snow shoes. Another example is the NE slope of the Courtes which usually stays safe throughout the summer. As for high mountain goulottes or ice routes, which are becoming increasingly popular, go in late spring or at the very start of summer. But if you do decide to go early be prepared to hire snow shoes or short skis; April to early May are the ski touring months in the high mountains, and you will need more than just leg power to get around the hills!
Avoid the peak summer months of July and August if at all possible. Remember the French take their holidays between the 15th July and 15th August. Early season from say early June to mid July is often better because there are less people, cheaper accommodation, safer glacier crossings, and better snow conditions up high.
Remember to stay off glaciers and glacier approaches in high summer (July/August), and scout out routes in advance if possible (i.e. bivvi nearby or ask people who have done the route recently). Do stick to rock routes that follow solid lines or snow/ice routes that have traditionally stable slopes, and do practise crevasse rescue at the start of your alpine season.
Avoid icy/snowy tops and look for solid rock ridges or pillars leading to a saddle or col so there is no danger from falling ice or rock higher up. Look for compact rock and peaks that have a good reputation as regards rockfall, such as the Grand Capucin. And finally, always seek advice and network around for up to date, reliable information. Don’t take my or anybody elses word for it. Route information can go out of date very quickly – the mountains of the world are in constant change – and now we all have access to the world wide web there really is no excuse. A few hours surfing the net just might save your life and ensure that you have a really great alpine trip.
The good news is that we got what we all wanted at the end of 2003 which was a really good autumn/winter with a lot of precipitation above 2000m. Here in the Ecrins we were ski touring in deep powder as early as the end of October that year, and our local ski resorts of Serre Chevalier and Montgenevre were opened a full month earlier than normal. The mountain “glue” was replaced as the snow filled the fissures both on the mountains and on the glaciers.